Connection-block for electric service-circuits.



J. G. SWALLOW & W E. M0001 CONNECTION BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC SERVICE CIRCUITS.

APPLICATION FILED our. 12, 1901 Patnted July 6, 1909.

METER UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

JOSEPH G. SWALLOW AND WALTER E. MCCOY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO FRANK W. SMITH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. r I

' CONNECTION-BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC"SERVICE-CIRCUITS.

Application filed October 12, 1907. Serial No. 397,100.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Josnrn G. SWALLOW and WALTER E. McOoY, citizens of the United States of America, and residents of New York city, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connection Blocks for Electric Service-Circuits, of Which'the following is a specification.

Our invention relates more particularly to the construction of electric circuits of that class in which electric current is sup lied from a central station to customers, in W 10S9 buildings are installed wattmeters, small motors, armatures, voltmeters, and other electrical a liances, but our invention is also ap(p ica e'in other connections, as will be rea ily understood from the following description.

In the case of the service circuits for customers, it is frequently necessary to test meters and to remove and replace meters for repair. The testing is an inconvenient operation for the workman, and both operations are inconvenient to the customer because depriving him of electric service temporarily.

We have devised an improvement whereby the meters or other. devices maybe quickly and conveniently tested and removed or replaced without depriving the customer of current. Q

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagram illustrative of our invention; Fig. 2 is another diagram on a larger scale illustrating the connections on the connection block; Fig. 3 is a face view of the connection block and meter, the case cover of the connection block being removed; Fig. 4 is a side view of the same, with the case in section; and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate different forms of plugs which may be employed.

In these drawings we haveshown the in- .vention as embodied in a two wiresystem.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, S indicates service wires leading to the meter M in the customers building, and 0 indicates the local working circuit wires leading from the meter and containing the lamps or other translating devices '1. We interpose between both sets of wires and the meter M, a connection block B. containing means for short-circuiting or connecting the service andcircuit wires around the meter, and also containing a series of plug sockets .whereby the meter may be removed and replaced and I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

tested in various ways without interrupting the supply of current to the local circuit.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the binding posts 1 and 2 on the insulating base of the blockB are for connection of the serv ice wiresywhile the posts 3 and 4 are for connection of the circuit wires. Near the other end of the insulating base are the binding posts 5, 6 and 7, 8 for connection to the coils of the meter or other electrical a pliance with which our invention is to e used. r

The post. 1 is electrically connected through metallic strips 9, screw shell 10, and strip21," to screw shell 22, which formsa receptacle for a screw plug similar to a fuse plug, and provided with a central contact 23 connected by a wire 24 at the rear of the insulating base to the post 5. Similarly, the post 2 is electrically connected through strip 13, shell 14, and strip 17 to screw shell 18 of a plug receptacle containing central contact 19 connected by wire 20 to post 6.

On the other hand the post 7 is connected by wire 26 to central contact 30 of a plug receptacle, whose shell 31 is connected by strip 32 to post 3. The post 8 is connected by strip 25 to screw shell 26 of a receptacle, Whose central contact.27 is connected by wire 28 to 0st 4. V I

We emp oy the screw shells 10 and 14 in the connections l'etween osts 1, 2 and 5, 6 as a convenient device f dr short-circuiting across from osts 1., 2 to posts 3, 4. Thus the screw she l 10 forms the outer ring terminal of a plug receptacle whose central contact 11 is connected by wire 12'to wire 28, while the screw shel 14 forms the post 4 through central terminal 15 is connecte by wire 16 to post 3. By putting into these receptacles plain short-circuiting plugs P, Fig. 5, to close the circuitbetween 10 and 11 and between 14 and 15, the service wires will be switched or connected directly across to the local circuit wires.

The described construction enables a very flexible method or varied numxer of connections for tests and other purposes without discontinuing the current flow to the customers lines.

By way of illustration, the following are some of the combinations which are available: For meter service, short circuiting plugs P, Fig. 5, are put into the receptacles 18, 19 and 22, 23, and 26, 27, and 30, 31, but no plugs are putinto the rece tacles 10, 11 and 14, 'The current t en flows through the meter. To remove the meter 5 and re lace it by a new one, :connection across rom posts 1 and 2 to posts 3 and 4, is'

made in inserting plugs B into the receptacles 10, 11 and 14, 15. Then the lugs P are all removed from the other four p ug receptacles to disconnect the posts 5, 6, 7, 8, wholly from the circui The meter is then disconnected at the posts and another connected up, in its place, whereu on the plugs P are restored to the receptacles 18, 19 and 23, 24 and 26, 27 and 30, 31, and then the lugs are withdrawn from 10, 11 and 14, 15.

n this way the customer's su ply of current will nothave been interfere with, and on the other hand, the replacing of the meter will-have been accomplished without danger to the meter man,

To test a meter, by placing it in parallel with another, we proceed-as follows :First, plug up 10, 11 and 14, 15 to switch in a direct connection from posts 1 and 2 to posts 3, 4. Then take the lugs P out of the other four receptacles. en insert at 18, 19 and 22, 23 plugs P, Fig. 6, similar to the plugs ,P, but each provided with a lead wire p electrically connected up to say the screw ring terminal of the plug, and connected or adapted to be connected at the other end to the service side of the testing meter which is to be connected in arallel. Also insert similar plugs P into t e receptacles 26, 27, and 30, 31, the leads p from these plugs being connected to the ocal circuit side of the testing meter. Then remove the temporary switchaing plugs from 10, 11 and 14, 15, so that 40 thereu on the two meters will be connected in paralle to the service and circuit wires and this without interrupting the flow of current to the local circuit or danger to the tester.

To put a meter in series, the receptacles 10,

45 11 and 14, 15 are plugged up to directly connect the wires across from osts 1, 2 to 3, 4.

Then' plugs P are remove from the other four receptacles. Then insert -at18, 19 and 23, 24 plugs such as P, Fig. 7, each with its ,50 central end contact a; insulated from the screw, ring terminal contact 1;. To one terminal is connected a lead 1), and to the other '8. separate lead p fFig. 7, by which proper connections may be made to the series testing meter. Then replace theshortcircuiting plugs P at 26, 27 and 30, 31, and remove theswitching plugs at 10, 11 and 14, 15 to thus throw the two meters into series.

The foregoing examples are given to show some'of the combinations which are practical and easily employed with our connection block, but other modes of connection areavailable and will readily suggest themselves.

While our invention is thus shown to be especially valuable for use with a wattmeter in electrical service work, because of the varied and frequent tests required, our improvements are also capable of use with other electrical apparatus such as small motors,

ammeters, voltmeters, etc., a's will be readily plugs, one pole of each of two receptacles be-' ing connected together and to a service wire binding post, the remaining poles of those receptacles being connected, one to a binding post for the meter or other electric appliance and the other to a pole of a third receptacle,

which is also connected to a circuit wire binding post, the remaining pole of this third receptacle being connected to a binding post for the meter or other electric appliance.

2. A connection block for electric service circuits, having binding posts for service and circuit wires and also for wires to a meter or other electric appliance, and a series of intermediate receptacles for attachment or fuse plugs, each service wire binding post being connected to one pole of each of two receptacles, the other poles of the two receptacles being connected one to a binding post for meter or other electric appliance and. the other to one pole of another receptacle, the other pole of which is connected to a binding post for the meter or other electric appliance.

3. A connection block for electric service circuits, having binding posts for the service and circuit wires and also for wires to an electric appliance, and a series of intermediate receptacles for attachment or fuse plugs, each service wire binding post being respectively connected to one pole of each of ,a pair of receptacles, there being one air for each binding post, the other pole 0 'one receptacle of each pair being connected to a circuit wire binding post, while the other poles of the other rece tacles of the said pairs are connected to inding posts for said electric appliance, the remaining receptacles being connected on one side to the circuit .wire postsand on the other side to the posts for said electrical appliance.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH G. SWALLOW. W. E. MCCOY.

Witnesses:

JOHN MAIRs, HOWARD I. CHEsEBRo. 

